Just Between Us
by Black-Cat-Max
Summary: In the wake of H is for Haunted, you just knew something like this was coming. Shoujoai, as is my trademark.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Fanfics are like LEGOs, y'know? Even when you build something out of them and say "I made this", you know that you didn't make the blocks. In plain English, I'm saying that this is my story, but not my characters, settings, etc.

Will Vandom's beeping alarm clock had tormented her ever since the beginning of her school days, but it'd done nothing to prepare her for the verbal admonishments she'd been receiving for the last month or two following the increase in her powers delivered through the Heart of Kandrakar. And while it'd been genuinely useful at times to be able to communicate with machines, there were times when, like a bad dream, sh wished she could just wake from it all.

Being a super-heroine wasn't all it was cracked up to be, especially when the mantle was given you when you were still young enough to have to live with your mom. Correction, with your mom who had no idea what the truth of the matter was and who couldn't be told that one was actually helping save the world - and a lot of other worlds - when you said you were studying math. Living with your mom who was always busy, never having proper time to spare, never really wanting to understand what life was heaping onto you. With your mom who was _dating your history teacher_. Will had made peace with the fact, yes. But it was still just one more thing that drove a wedge in between the two of them.

Then there was her father's return. It'd been all those years, and suddenly there he was again, trying as hard as he could to act like nothing had changed. For the umpteenth time Will wished to herself that she could just look into his mind, check everything out and see if he was being honest about getting back to being a part of her life. Her mom seemed to be accepting if not enthusiastic, but naturally two people who'd been through what they had would have issues to sort out.

...and like so many children with parents like that, Will found herself being used as the battleground for whatever went on between them.

Things had become way, way too complicated lately. Okay, she had powers and so did her friends. Okay, they had another world to try to save, and they'd actually managed to do it. That had been a chore, but it'd been satisfying, in that she'd risen to the challenge and that they'd won. Unfortunately, it looked like that whole thign was just practice, an appetizer for one whopping HELL of a main course. All sorts of things happening seen and unseen on other worlds and right there on the homefront. With an exasperated sigh, Will wondered once again exactly why she decided to keep on going with all of it.

_Because the alternative is being dead_, she thought to herself, _...and that would kinda suck_.

Actually, she hadn't thought that to herself, but rather her own voice had spoken to her in her mind. Right about the time she realized that, too, the Heart began glowing pink, and before she knew it Will was sitting on her bed next to a flawless double of herself, a double smiling at her like all was well with the world.

"Hey", Astal!Will said, "why the long face?"

"Oh, y'know..."

"Yeah, living in your mind, I guess I do."

"I didn't know you could come to life by yourself", the original said with a curious look.

"Neither did I until just now." The astral double shrugged, still smiling. "Live and learn, huh?"

"I guess so." Will sighed again. "So... tell me this. If you're me and I'm you, how come right now I'm in the dumps and you're looking like you're on cloud nine?"

"Simple", Astal!Will replied. "We're focused on different things. You're focused on all the gloomy stuff, like dad, mom, school, danger, that stuff."

"Okay, so what're you focusing on?"

"A few things. But mainly, that I... We... You..." Astal!Will held her chin thoughtfully. "I'll just use 'you'. Because I know what's more important right this minute."

"What's that?"

"That you're honest, smart, very pretty..." Astal!Will leaned closer then, and gave her twin a warm kiss on the lips, prompting a faint blush. "...and doggone it, people like you." A wink. "Keep that in mind, okay?" And with that, she vanished, returning to the Heart.

"Y... yeah, I will."

Suddenly, the day wasn't looking so bad.


	2. Chapter 2

When one arrives home from a long day at school, relaxation is typically high on the priority list. Even more so when the time between school and said arrival is passed in the company of friends perfectly willing to pass a few hours in town doing whatever. And given that the weekend was on the horizon, a thoroughly relieved Will Vandom was only partially surprised when she was met at home not by her mother, but by a note.

"Will - Gone with Dean to see that new zombie movie, should be back around ten. Dinner in the fridge. -Mom"

Good, there would be peace. Deep down Will cared a lot for her mom, but the woman just never seemed able to strike a peaceful balance between neglecting Will and trying far too hard to be close. So most of the time Will used her tried-and-true coping method and just ignored both situations. What with everything going on in her other life, home just had to take a back seat.

The Heart sparkled.

_...which is probably exactly how she feels about work sometimes_, her own voice said in her mind.

"Woah... hey again", Will said to the empty room. "Have you been in there all day?"

_Nope, just since you got home. C'mon, let's take a nap._

"Why?"

_Just trust me._

"Well, why not?" Will headed for her room, discarded her backpack and jacket, and flopped herself onto the bed, ignoring the hails from various appliances. "Okay, here we are. Now what?"

_Now you've got to relax. I'll do the rest from in here._

So Will took a deep breath, held it a moment, and let it go, using the same methods she'd learned for calming her pulse after swimming. After a moment she kicked off her shoes, pulled the covers over herself, and closed her eyes.

The Heart sparkled again, and next she knew, Will was sitting on the edge of her bed beside a perfect copy of herself.

Scratch that, a perfect copy of herself wearing a pair of plaid pajamas.

"Hey", the astral double said, "we're in a dream. I could be in underwear if I wanted to."

"Yeah, that you could." Will smirked. "So what's up?"

"Wanted to ask you that. You've got a lot floating around in your mind, y'know?"

"In our mind, right?"

"Well, right." The astral Will shrugged. "Y'know, we really need to figure out some way to keep us both straight. Because I'm you and you're me..."

"...but we're really not the exact same person", the original Will concluded. "Because after Nerissa gave you your... well... life, you had thoughts and feelings and stuff that I never did."

"Right."

Will held her chin thoughtfully. "Okay, I've got it. My... our full name is Wilhelmina, right? And I'm already Will, so how about if you take the other half?"

"Mina..." The double pondered it briefly. Then she smiled, and gave Will a hug. "I like it. Good thinking."

"Thanks."

"Y'know, I was thinking. About us, you and me."

"You're wondering if, when this 'Guardian' thing is all over, you'll lose me."

"Exactly." Will held out her hands. "I mean, you're part of me, but also part of the Heart. And as long as we don't get squashed by Random T. Bad-Guy some time like the ones before us..."

"...then one day you're going to have to give up the Heart to the Oracle or the next generation", the newly-dubbed Mina concluded.

"Right. I mean, would you just disappear into nothing? Because that would be awful, especially when you're a person now..."

Mina shivered slightly just then. "I know... it was scary as anything when I thought that was what you were going to do to me."

Will's look softened, and she reached out to hug her twin. "I'd never do that. Not knowing what I do now. And after all, you didn't disappear. You're still here with me. And I'm really glad you are. It's nice having someone to talk to who really understands what I'm thinking."

Mina smiled and returned the hug in full measure. "Me too, for sure. And I'll make you a promise too." She leaned closer, slowly closing her eyes. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens."

"Same goes for me." Will sighed happily as, for the second time that day, she and her astral twin shared a soft kiss.

Only this one lasted a bit longer then the first.


End file.
